THE STORY OF SARAH (Issue 6)

'And she doesn't think about him anymore...'

"What do we do? We are a pop band. Always have been. We love what everyone else loves. We like things to be bright, shallow, ephemeral, mass produced. If you sense subversive tendencies, your senses have deceived you. You are projecting something other onto our benign and likeable product. We love you. All we want is that you love us too? Is that so difficult?"-

This week it's all about Sarah #37, 'Nothing Ever Happens', which was released in November 1990 by the wonderfully straight-talking Sydney band, Even As We Speak. The thing about this 7" single/EP is that everyone always talks about, and listens to, the cover of the New Order song 'Bizarre Love Triangle' (the first of three songs on the 'B' side). And that's fine, you know. It's a great cover of a fantastic song. But... what gets overlooked, to an extent, are all the other songs. Indeed, as good as the cover is, from the five songs on the 7" single this is my absolute favourite track, 'Blue Suburban Skies'. It's important to say, I suppose, that this song - and that cover - were originally released in 1987 as a 7" single by BHP Records in Australia but on a very limited release. So, it was nice to see the songs appear again with Sarah a few years later so more people, especially in the UK, could hear them. Anyway, 'Blue Suburban Skies', features a killer Hookesque bassline, as well as a rousing chorus ('And so her ship went sailing by / But her blue suburban skies / Make everything alright'), and this is Matthew Love at his songwriting best, telling a typical story of a girl getting over a boy who 'was never ever around'. Indeed. Sigh. Gulp. Still, this was just the beginning for Even As We Speak on Sarah Records - the band would go on to release another three singles with the label but this was their first and, arguably, the very best of the bunch. I'll save the fascinating story of the band for another time in this series but for now have a look here for a rundown of the how, the what and the why. Oh, and this is an essential purchase (Sarah #614). Love them... or else.

mp3 : Even as we speak - 'Blue suburban skies' (2.31)

Comrade Colin, Sunday 31 July 2011